


Black Cars

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Mafia AU [1]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Mafia/Mob AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-08 00:02:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4283025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Just focus on the evidence. We only need a little more, then we can take Bruce Wayne down permanently.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black Cars

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know anything about mobs and mafias and spent way too much time writing a probably completely inaccurate situation. Dick is much more inclined to claim Damian as his son, and vice versa, that’s the relationship I was going for, for them. I don’t know anymore.

When Sasha paused outside the station, Jason looked up. Three black cars rolled slowly down the street. The windows were tinted, but Jason knew every single person in those vehicles were staring at him.

“They’re stepping up their game.” Sasha muttered. Jason took note of the way she checked her gun on her hip. “They must really miss you, Jason.”

“Just focus on the evidence.” Jason sighed. “We only need a little more, then we can take Bruce Wayne down permanently.”

“And your siblings?” Sasha asked, glancing down the street. “They didn’t have much of a choice.”

“They always had a choice. Just like I did.” Jason retorted. “Grant it, they stayed for their own reasons, but…they had a choice.”

“Even the little one?” Jason turned just in time to see Sasha nod at the corner. Jason’s eyes followed her gaze, and he couldn’t stop them from widening as they landed on Damian. There was a bruise encompassing the entire side of his face.

“Shit,” Jason breathed, shoving his files into Sasha’s hands as he jumped the rest of the stairs and ran down the road. Damian saw him and, for once, didn’t make a move to run. When he reached the child he crouched in front of him, hand hovering over his cheek. “What happened?”

“Call off the court case, Todd. Or something.” Damian whispered. “Please.”

“What.” Jason ordered. “Happened.”

“Grayson informed Father he was leaving the family. I saw the punch coming before he did.” Damian explained. Jason didn’t have to ask who the one throwing punches was. Not only did he remember well enough himself, he could see the outline of Bruce’s infamous ring right underneath Damian’s eye. “Grayson realized you were right, that the family was a sham. Toxic to everyone in it. He wants out, but Father won’t let him. He’s using Drake and Cain against him.”

“In what way?”

“He won’t let Grayson see them anymore, not until he agrees to stay. He forces Drake to stay at the office, working and reworking the finances until he passes out from exhaustion. He has Cain constantly out doing his dirty work for him, making her conduct the murders and do the collections.”

Jason gritted his teeth. He looked Damian over; there were no other injuries as far as he could tell. And that was strange in itself. Dick was assigned as Damian’s all-around caregiver when he was born, so Bruce didn’t have to take a child to important meetings. The two were _intensely_ close. Not to say Dick didn’t love Tim and Cass as well, but it was strange that Bruce would be using _them_ against his eldest.

As Jason thought, he realized something. “Wait, the family’s cars all just drove away.” He exclaimed. “Shit, do any of them know you stayed behind?”

Damian’s silence was answer enough. And that meant that as soon as they realized he was missing, Dick Grayson would be storming back like a bat out of Hell.

“You need to do _something_ , Todd.” Damian pleaded. “If Grayson leaves, then Father will…”

Damian didn’t need to finish the thought. If Grayson left, Bruce would take it out on Damian, just like he had on Damian’s mother some years before, when Jason had defected. And that’s what it was, that’s why he wasn’t using Damian against Dick _now_. That would be Dick’s punishment for going through with it. Not only would Tim and Cass continue to be punished, but Damian would pay the price as well.

And that must have really been what was stopping Dick from leaving. He could say it all he wanted, and while Bruce may lock Tim up at the office, or throw Cass into the grimiest conditions Gotham had to offer, he wouldn’t physically harm them – Tim was the best dealmaker the family had ever had, and Cass their greatest muscle.

Dick was Damian’s only defense against his father, and they all knew it.

Sasha’s words came floating back. She was right, Damian never had a choice. He never even had a _chance_.

“I can’t call off the warrants, Damian, but think I can do something else.” Jason said slowly. He stood and grabbed Damian’s hand, pulling him towards the station. “Hey, Sasha! Get the photographer. We need to document some evidence.”

“No, Todd. What’re you…” Damian planted his heels into the concrete, pulling backwards.

“Damian, stop – just listen to me!” he yanked Damian’s hand forward, and the boy looked up at him, terrified. “We only need a little bit more evidence to charge your dad and make it a slam dunk conviction, okay?”

Damian scowled. “That is the exact _opposite_ -”

“Dick is the next of kin for the family. So if we can get your dad locked away, Dick takes it over.” Jason assured. “And then Dick – and Tim and you and the girls – are all off the hook. You’ll be _safe_.”

“But you want to arrest all of us.” Damian muttered. “You said so yourself, last time you saw Drake and Brown.”

“I can get you guys immunity.” Jason promised, tugging Damian towards the precinct. “If you tell our detectives everything you just told me, we can pile abuse charges onto the ones Bruce already has. That could almost guarantee Bruce goes away for life.”

“But if Grayson comes to get me right now…” Damian’s face scrunched in worry.

“You’ll be with Sasha and child protective services, and we can hold Dick here for at least twenty-four hours without arrest. Say we think he was your abuser and want to interrogate him. Bruce won’t be able to get to either of you.” Jason continued as they walked up the steps. “I’ll go pick up Tim and Cass and anyone else at Wayne Tower myself. Okay?”

Before Jason could even grab the door handle, a black car came screeching to a halt on the curb. Dick practically fell out of the driver’s seat.

“Damian!” he breathed, running up the stairs. He collapsed to his knees in front of the boy, first taking his face in his hands, then gathering him into his arms. “Oh my god, I thought he’d stolen you away already. I thought he’d…”

Dick trailed off as he looked up at Jason. His eyes were sad. “I know all about it, Dickiebird.” Jason smiled, pulling the door open. “Just leave everything to me.”

“Jason…” Dick muttered, tightening his grip on Damian as he stood. For once, Dick didn’t argue. Didn’t try to defend Bruce or the family or even attempt to leave. Instead he sighed, practically deflated. “ _Thank you_.”

Dick passed through the door and for the first time in what seemed like ages, Jason felt a weight life from his shoulders. “It’s what family’s for.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Mafia AU stories](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/search/mafia+au)   
> 


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